The Elder Scrolls tales: A Blade's Oath
by Mr.Squirreljerky
Summary: In the year 4E115 tensions continue to rise. Everyday the empire grows weaker from rising conflicts both within and without. They're not without their defenders though. A young, fresh faced Blade is given his first mission, to rescue his fellow blade and find out what she knew. What he discovers is something much bigger than he could have anticipated, much, much bigger.
1. Compromised

_Allright so this is going to be my new project and for those who are thinking what I know they are thinking. I know I don't have a great track record when it comes to completing stories as many of you know with honor of the guard and night fang: may your road lead you to warm sands. I think the problem I had with those stories was that they were to big with large, complicated plots and many themes and narratives and all that fun stuff. So I decided to step back and think about what a good tale is and...do I really need to do something on a large and epic scale?_

 _My theory is that no. It doesn't have to be a great epic to be a good story. Sometimes, the simplest tales are the best. So then we come to this. This is going to be part of a series I call The elder scrolls tales and they are going to be short adventure stories starting with this one The elder scrolls tales: a blade's oath. I don't want to spoil to much for the reader but all I know is that I have this story plotted out from point A to point Z (for once) and hopefully it should be a fun ride for all the readers who love themselves some elder scrolls action and adventure._

 _Obligatory: I do not own elder scrolls or any of its facets_

* * *

 _They have finally come for Bezanji, t_ he feline thought to herself as she hurriedly scrambled about her small room, quickly throwing provisions and documents into a small satchel while her sensitive ears listened to the pounding on the front door below her. She nervously bit her bottom lip as she rapidly made her way to her desk, an inkwell and a quill sitting next to each other while a half finished letter sat neatly on the wooden surface illuminated only by the soft glow of a candle.

She grabbed the quill and quickly dipped it into the ink before hurriedly scrawling onto the letter

 _This one must hurry else she is caught... they pound on Bezanji's door and are intent on taking this one away because of what Khajiit has discovered..._

The sound of splintering wood rang throughout the house as the front door was ripped from its hinges. Heavy footsteps of soldiers followed in its wake as they made their way through the house and up the stairs. Bezanji's eyes went wide in terror as she quickly got up and a grabbed the nearest chair she could find, lodging it under the door handle, hopefully giving her enough time to send the message and escape.

Bezanji quickly ran back to her desk and began rolling up the letter, her eyes quickly scanning around the room before they locked onto a small window, just big enough that she would be able to fit through with a bit of Khajiit finesse.

Rushing towards the window she pursed her lips, blowing air through them and letting out a long, high pitched whistle. There was a cry that answered as a flacon flew down and perched onto the window sill. It's curious gaze looked at Bezanji then to the door as a loud pounding sound was heard on the other side, the wooden frame of the door and chair creaking from the force.

Bezanji tore a piece of her tunic off and quickly used it to tie the letter to the leg of the falcon, her head turning every few seconds to the door as it was pushed and beaten harder and harder. "Take the note back to the imperial city Swift wings, make sure it gets into Florius's hands", Bezanji whispered before shooing the falcon off. The bird soared high into the sky and disappeared from view.

"Open up! You are under arrest!"

Bezanji hissed at the door, her ears splaying against her head and her eyes narrowing to slits as she turned back towards the window, her satchel slung over her shoulder. She nearly made her way out of the room through the window when her eye caught something she nearly forgot about on her desk.

On her desk sat a fairly large bottle of clear liquid. She remembered when she had first moved in to the house and her neighbor had brought it over as a house warming present. Moonsugar rum that he had distilled himself...it had tasted like the piss of a flame atronach after it had clawed your tongue to shreds...but hopefully it should just do the trick for what she needed it to do.

Bezanji grimaced as she grabbed the bottle and ripped the cork off, nearly gagging at the strong stench that wafted directly into her sensitive nose. _Yeah, this will work fine_.

The door pounded again, the hinges groaning as they began to pull away from the wall. She needed to act fast. Bezanji took the bottle of alcohol and began to dump the liquid all over the room, not sparing any corner till the entire bottle was emptied. She tossed the bottle aside, satisfied with her work before she ran back to her desk and grabbed the lit candle.

Just at that moment, the door burst open revealing a small host of the city guard, their eyes going wide at the strong stench of alcohol coming from the room...to the lit candle in Bezanji's hand. Panic overtook their faces as Bezanji smirked before throwing down the lit candle and diving for the window, as the room burst into flames.

Bezanji snickered to herself briefly when she heard the vulgar cursing coming from the room as she fell from the second story, the air rushing through her fur as the ground quickly rose up to meet her. Bezanji was always one to be quick on her feet though and as she nearly plummeted into the ground. She curled her body into a ball, reaching her arms out and using her momentum to harmlessly roll on the ground once she met it.

She quickly recovered and sprang up onto her feet, wasting no time as she fled from the now burning building.

Now came the hard part. Getting out of the city. Bezanji stuck to the shadows, not wanting to risk running through the streets and being caught in broad moonlight. Alleys were her safest bet and making good use of the many back ways through the city would hopefully be enough for her to escape the city undetected and quickly try to make her way back to Cyrodiil.

Bezanji would often have to duck down and wait as guards rushed past towards the site of the fire, intent on helping any caught in its flames and to help put it out. This was good, it was the distraction Bezanji needed...despite the recklessness of endangering her neighbors because of it. The Khajiit shook her head. There will be plenty of time to reflect on the logistics later, for now she needed to focus on escaping the city.

Bezanji was almost to freedom, her keen eyes recognizing each street as she grew nearer and nearer to the gate. Her eyes widened in horror though as she quickly scrambled behind a nearby barrel, avoiding being seen by the rather large group of guards currently guarding the gate, keen eyes scanning the area around them.

The Khajiit hissed in frustration, peeking her head from behind the barrel to assess her obstacle. There were about ten guards, all fully armed and completely blocking off the gate to the city. There was no way she could get past them without getting caught and being brought to...him. Bezanji shuddered at the thought, having heard the rumors of what he did with his prisoners, torturing information out them in the most horrific ways imaginable whether with tools or with magic.

A twang sounded through the air as Bezanji's ears instinctively perked up at the sound before an arrow ripped through her left ear and stuck into the barrel. Bezanji let out a loud cry of pain! The feeling was like fire as she quickly brought a hand and cupped her torn ear, blood quickly filling up her hand and gushing through the cracks between her fingers.

"There! Behind the barrel." Came a shout from the rooftop as an archer quickly nocked another arrow and took aim.

Bezanji quickly hopped up from behind the barrel, just as another arrow zipped through the air and stuck into the wood with a loud thud. Cursing to herself and blinking back hot tears, she ran from the now pursuing guards. She needed to think of something quick; it wouldn't be long before the fire was put out and a second alarm was sounded getting every single guard in the city to try and apprehend her.

She rounded a street corner and quickly ducked into a dark alley, taking a moment to catch her breath. She could fell the warm blood trailing down the side of her head before being absorbed into her clothes. She prayed that there was at least enough sand and enough wind on the streets to cover any blood trail she might have left.

Despite the situation, Bezanji had to chuckle to herself. This is all going to back for one hell of a story for her comrades back at cloud ruler temple...that is if she manages to escape. It was a scary thought for the Khajiit, the prospect that she might not be able to make it out of the city. The idea that she may be captured and tortured for the information she posses. The possibility that she will _die_. It was a sour thought to swallow for the young feline...but this is what she signed up for, what she was trained for, what she was prepared to give her life for. It was what she was prepared to do in order to fulfill her mission and her duty as a member of the blades, to give her life in order to ensure a better future for the empire and indeed, all of Tamriel.

The thought filled her with strength, strength enough for her to begin to plan her next move. Walking out the gates was out of the question, and there was no way she could go over the walls of the city. Perhaps there was one way that would work...

Bezanji knelt down and began to scan the ground around, her keen, feline sight trying to find what she prayed to Akatosh she would find. Her concentration was broken though when she heard a familiar voice approaching the entrance to the alley.

"I don't care if you have to tear down every stone in this city. I want her found and I want her brought to me immediatly. Are we understood Zan'Kir?"

Bezanji knew that voice all to well and the prospect of who that voice belonged to made her blood run cold and her fur stand up on end. She needed to get out of here right now. Bezanji redoubled her efforts, quickly scanning the ground, her heart racing faster and faster as he heard his voice grow closer and closer.

"come on, where is it?" She hissed to herself quietly, her eyes hurriedly scanning the area, her hands running across the stone and sand as got on her hands and knees to search all the while, the voice grew closer and closer till finally...

"Found you!"

* * *

 _Left you on a cliff hanger there lol. I know you are probably asking yourself many questions from reading this but don't worry, all will be explained in time. For now leave a review of what you thought of it and stay tuned in for the next chapter!_

 _Till next time- Squirrel_


	2. The mission

The White-Gold Tower; The crown jewel of the Cyrodillic empire. For millennia it had stood proud, it's very tip brushing against the white clouds that rested high in the sky, and it's shining surface reflecting the golden rays of the dawning sun. The Tower stood as a beacon of hope and security for the empire's citizens, its protective shadow casting over the city with the setting and rising of the sun.

Within the great halls of the Tower stood the greatest assembly of knowledge in the entire empire. It's shelves holding ancient tomes from as far back as the first era and, locked away deep within the athenaeum, rested the legendary Elder Scrolls. Their vast knowledge only being able to be glimpsed at by the order of the Moth Priests who had dedicated their lives to the study of the prophetic scrolls.

For every beam of light however, a shadow must be cast.

Deep beneath the White-Gold Tower lay a labyrinth of tunnels and hallways seemingly older than the mighty tower itself. Its dark, winding halls stretching for miles beneath the surface, lit only by the pale blue glow of Welkynd Stones. None knew about the existence of these tunnels...save for a select few.

Deep within the maze of passages was a hidden door, a door that only the select few knew about as it was a perfect place. A place that hardly any one knew about or how to get there, a place where one could hold there meetings in private, free of the fear of prying eyes and ears alike. Inside the room stood a large, wooden table, the surface of which being covered in maps, diagrams, pictures, letters and journals. Presiding over it was an older Imperial man, his short, white hair covering his head like a blanket of snow as he stared down at the table with one blue eye and one scarred, milky eye.

His hard gaze was locked firmly onto one of the many pieces of paper on the table, his face wearing a troubled exspression as he ran a gnarled hand along the smooth parchment. His good eye read the words hastily scribbled onto it once more, trying to piece together what it could mean. He was concentrating hard on this. Having devoted nearly all his concentration on this piece of parchment, he barely even seemed to register the pronounced knock on the door.

The older Imperial grumbled something to himself before lifting his gaze from the paper to the doorway.

"Enter," He said as he stood upright, his arms and back popping from the considerable amount of time he had spent hunched over the table.

There was silence at first before the click of the door's latch opened revealing a young Breton man. He looked to be in his mid twenties with fair skin and dark, almost ebony colored hair. His face was smooth and clean shaven, devoid of any noticeable scars that would have marked his years of experience in the field.

His dark, emerald green eyes scanned the room briefly before he entered, his gaze quickly falling onto the older Imperial man. The young Breton quickly snapped to attention, his right forearm crossing his chest and his hand balling into a tight fist as he spoke "Captain Florius! Blade Verick reporting for duty!"

The old Imperial snapped his own arm across his chest before slowly lowering it. "At ease," Florius said as his gaze returned back to the parchment on the table.

The young Blade's tense form quickly relaxed as his arm went back down at his side. He stood there awkwardly for a minute, unsure of what the grizzled Captain wanted him to do next. The only information Verick had was a summons from the Captain and a map of how to get there. What ever the Captain needed him for though, it must have been important, especially considering that he needed to come all the way down here to meet up with him.

Florius cleared his throat, breaking the young Blade's train of thought, bringing all of his focus onto the old Captain. He motioned for Verick to come forward, his head lifting to meet Verick's gaze once he reached the wooden table.

"What do you make of this, boy?" Florius said as he picked up the piece of paper he had been so focused on earlier and handed it to the curious Breton.

Verick raised an eyebrow as he slowly took the piece of paper, running his hand over the parchment briefly before his gaze settled on what was written on it.

 _This one must hurry else she is caught, they pound on Bezanji's door and are intent on taking this one away because of what Khajiit has discovered..._

Verick's gaze shot the older Blade Captain a queer look before reading the message again, his eyes filling with worry as he flipped the paper over to see if there was anything else written on it but to no avail.

"When did you get this message, Captain?" Verick asked concerned as he set the message back onto the table, his attention falling to the grizzled Captain.

"I received the message early this morning from Bezanji's falcon, Swift Wings. He must have flown nonstop to reach the city, poor bird looked like it was about ready to pass out", Captain Florius grunted as he began to rustle through some of the other papers scattered across the table.

"I think it is safe to assume that Bezanji is in trouble then. What all do we know about the situation?"

Captain Florius's eyes flitted up to Verick briefly before returning to there current task at hand "Currently, we know very little about the situation." Florious said and then let out a triumphant "Aha!" The older Blade pulled out a few pieces of parchment from the rather disorganized pile on the table.

"We sent Bezanji to the Khajiit city of Dune to help the Moon Priests with the recovery from the Void Nights about two fortnight's ago. She had been sending in steady reports every few days...till about a week ago when she had sent an urgent message saying that Thalmor have entered the city and she planned on studying their actions to try and glean information on them.", The old captain said, setting the various messages infront of the young Breton for him to read.

"It was after that that she had stopped sending messages...till now.", Florius said grimly, his hard gaze set onto the table and his brow furrowing in deep thought. He brushed his hand on the table, pushing aside the many papers to reveal an old, yellowed map of Tamriel.

"What worries me, is that this is following a disturbing pattern. Blade's have been dissapearing more and more. First in the Summerset Isle's, Then in Valenwood...now, in Elsweyr as well."

Verick gulped as he nodded his head, his own gaze falling onto the map, following Florius's hand as it pointed to the different lands on the map. "So what is it you want me to do captain? Surely you don't mean..."

"I do mean." Florious said with a hard Glare. "Whatever Bezanji found, it was obviously important enough that the Thalmor went after her..."

"Do you think then that the Thalmor have her... or worse?"

Florious let out a snort of laughter. "I have the upmost faith in Bezanji. She's a good agent and I doubt she would get captured that easily." Florious said with a small, rather uncharacteristic grin that quickly vanished when he saw Verick's amused smirk.

"What?"

Verick chuckled "Your optimism Captain. I don't think I've ever seen it before and I must say, It's rather touching." Verick said before uproariously laughing at the very unamused Captain.

Verick continued to laugh before the Captain's stern gaze eventually made him bring his laughter down to a quiet chuckle then to an awkward silence that was broken by a little cough from Verick. "So what is the plan for me then?"

"I'm glad you asked, boy." Florius said as he brought his hand down to the yellowed map, his finger pointing to a small point near the Cyrodiil/Elsweyr border. "There is a small mining town here that goes by the name of T'Sun's crossing. It's a fairly new settlement that was founded by a rich Nordic family who named the site after some deity of their's or some other hogwash. Once you reach the settlement, you are to ask around for a Redguard named Razen. Once you find him, tell him "I'm happy the long road has brought me to your doorstep. He'll know what it means. Once there, he can give you a debriefing on the current situation.", Florious said while simultaneously opening a drawer in the table Verick had not even realized was there and procuring a clear bottle that contained what appeared to be brandy and two glasses.

"This seems alot to process at once Captain. What will I need to bring? What if people begin to grow suspicious of a Blade entering their town?", Verick said, voicing his concerns as he watched the Blade's Captain pop the cork on the bottle and proceed to fill up both glasses with the potent drink.

"Supplies to get you to the town have already been packed for you, the rest of your supplies you will receive once you reach Razen. There is also a set of simple traveling clothes waiting for you, this mission will really on the upmost secrecy and you being inconspicuous. Unwanted eyes are everywhere, watching our every move...oh and should someone in the town ask why you seek Razen, you are to tell them that you are an old friend of his looking to catch up on old times together, nothing more, nothing less.", The Captain said as took his glass and downed its contents.

Verick mulled over the Captain's words as he reached for the other glass and idly swished the alcohol around inside it. "There is still one thing Captain."

"Yes boy?"

"If Bezanji is alive and I find her and get her out of the Thalmor's gaze, what then? And more importantly, how am I supposed to find Bezanji when I don't even know what she looks like?"

Captain Florius nodded his head as he filled his glass up once more with the strong liquid. "If Bezanji is alive and you manage to save her, provided she needs saving, you are to bring her back to the Imperial City immediatly. We need to learn all we can about what she discovered and plan our next action accordingly. If she has passed on, then try your damnedest to find out what she discovered and return to the city with the information. As far as what she looks like...", Florious said he pushed aside another pile of papers to reveal what appeared to be a journal of some sort.

Verick grabbed the journal and instantly opened it. He was a tad bit surprised to find detailed profiles of quite a few Blades, the descriptions ranging from there height and the color of their hair, to the smallest details such as marks or little patterns in fur and scale alike. What impressed Verick the most, however, were the incredibly detailed sketches of each Blade next to their profile, each one looking so lifelike that at any moment they could jump out of the page.

"Bezanji is in that book. On your journey you are to find her profile, read it and burn it to memory. Understood?"

Verick nodded his head at the Captain, his hand bringing the glass up to his lips as he, too, downed the contents of the glass before setting back onto the table. "So I guess the only thing left to ask is when do I leave?" Verick asked with a wry smile on his lips, excietment begin to build up inside of him despite the apprehensive nature of his mission. Finally! A chance to really test his metal and prove himself a capable agent...plus a chance to finally see the lands south of Cyrodiil! He had heard many stories of the Khajiiti homeland, the rough Badlands of the north that gracefully turned into Savannah like plains the met the lush Jungles of the Tenmar forest in the south of Elsweyr. There was also the plus of entering the cities of the Khajiit. He would be lying to himself if he said that he didn't have a certain affinity for the cat folk. Their mannerisms and culture fascinated the young Blade to no end, and any chance to see some of that culture up close, no matter the circumstances, was an opportunity he would not waste if at all possible.

Florius let out a small grimace, the old Captain seemly able to read Verick's thoughts. He merely shook his head though before setting the decanter away. "You will be leaving early tomorrow, taking the green road 'till you reach Bravil and then head west. The town is a bit out of the way from the road but there should be a sign there to point you in the right direction."

"I best get some rest then. Don't worry Captain, you can count on me. For the glory of the Empire!" Verick said saluting the Captain before turning to leave.

"Wait Verick. One last thing...be careful, we're not entirely sure what we're dealing with. These Thalmor are capable of anything, just...keep that in mind."

Verick nodded his head to the Captain's words, his mind whirling with a thousand thoughts. First things first though, he needed to get some rest; He had a long journey ahead of him.

* * *

 _Ha! Bet you thought I wouldn't get this far did ya? Well I did it! Chapter 2 is up and was probably the hardest to write even though i'm not really sure why, it just was lol. Any way we have a new character introduced and he will be playing a pivotal role in the story. As always read and review, leave a comment and feel free to message me with any questions you may have._

 _-Squirrel_


	3. Relics of the past

It was the starting weeks of the first seed. The landscape that had once been covered in a blanket of white snow now began to be replaced with lush grass and foliage. Flowers of every color bloomed through the forests and fields along the green road, their pleasant scents filling the air, causing the young blade to take a deep breath, letting every scent and smell of the landscape fill his senses. It washed him in a sense of calm; all of it, from the pleasant smell of flowers to the sounds of nearby wildlife that gave the man a curious glance before skittering off into the woods.

Verick's journey since he had left the Imperial City had been rather uneventful and he was thankful for it. No goblins, bandits or savage wildlife had been there to make his journey difficult. Heck, the only reason he had used his sword had been to cut a bit of wood for a fire whenever he need to make camp on the road. Part of him wished he could have gotten a horse for his journey to the mining settlement. It would have turned a two day journey into, at most, a day or even less, if decided to make the horse sprint most of the way there.

However the name of his mission wasn't speed...or at least most of his mission wasn't about speed. No, he needed to be inconspicuous, stealthy. He needed to appear as any other traveler on the road and bring as little attention to himself as possible if he was to at least make into Elsweyr safely and quietly.

His thoughts then wandered to his mission at hand and he began to feel doubts crawl into the back of his mind.

 _What if Razen isn't there when I reach the settlement? What if he has already been captured by the Thalmor and they are setting up a trap to capture me as well?,_ Verick thought as the rational side of his mind began to counter his own thoughts.

 _Don't worry, if Florious trusts him enough to let him set up a safe house in a brand new town then he obviously knows what he is doing. Besides, I think word would travel pretty quickly if Thalmor had arrested a man in a new settlement within Imperial borders._

 _What of Bezanji then? Does she even really need our help?_

 _You saw her letter. She obviously needs help! She could be in the hands of the Thalmor right now being gruesomely tortured for information! She needs help._

 _But you heard what the captain said about her, the way he talked about her held the upmost respect for her and her abilities. What if she had already escaped the Thalmor and is making her way to Cyrodiil right now and we are on nothing but a wild goose chase that may end up with getting captured in place of Bezanji?_

 _Think of it like this then. If Bezanji is infact in need of saving, this could be your chance to be a knight in shining armor, your chance to woo the damsel as it were._

 _From what I have heard so far, she is definitely not a damsel and I seriously doubt she..._

Verick's inner debate halted suddenly as his attention was quickly drawn to a strange sound coming from the woods to his right. He instinctively drew his simple steel sword, his adrenaline beginning to pump as the sounds of a battle fell upon his ears. Verick knew that he should just keep walking, to ignore the distant fight to preserve his own safety...but he just couldn't. Curiosity was beginning to gnaw at him as well as a compulsory urge that it was his duty to help. What if it was a group of travelers being attacked by a gang of bandits? He was an agent of the Empire, sworn to protect it and all its citizens. It was his civic duty to help.

He took a deep breath, closing his eyes, steeling himself as he made his way into the woods.

The sounds of battle began to draw closer to the young Blade as he kept his head low, his steel sword held in a tight grip as he approached the sound of conflict. His heart began to pound faster and faster, droplets of sweat beginning to form on his brow. He was near the battle now. A tall group of rocks blocked the young Blade's vision but the sound of fighting was unmistakable on the other side of the rock formation.

Verick gripped the handle of his sword even tighter as he began to steady himself, taking deep, calming breaths while his body began to shake in anticipation for the battle.

The young Blade counted down in his head.

 _3_

His heart began to pulse rapidly.

 _2_

The sounds of the battle began to tune out of his ears, his sense's going numb from the anticipation.

 _1_

Verick let out a war cry as he sprung up from behind the rock, prepared to do battle. What he saw though only turned his battle sneer into a melting pot of confusion. There was nothing there, it was just an empty clearing. Even the sounds of battle that had come from this exact area had disappeared, instead the only sounds permeating the area was the occasional chirp of a bird.

Now Verick was thoroughly confused as he lowered his sword to his side, his gaze traveling over the empty clearing while he scratched the top of his head in bewilderment.

"I know there was a fight going on. I know what I heard," He said to himself till his attention was drawn to the snapping of twigs nearby. Near the edge of the clearing stood a tall figure, his broad chest and shoulders covered in a dark blue and silver armor. The figures face was cast in shadow but the features of his helmet and the design of his sword and shield were unmistakeable; the figure was a member of the Blades.

Verick's eyes widened as began to quickly descend down the rocks before landing softly onto the grass, his gaze never leaving the mysterious Blade. As Verick hit the ground, the Blade turned away from him and began to walk deeper into the woods. Every one of his movements was completely silent despite the heavy armor he wore, which only served to confuse the young Blade further as he wondered how he had made the twig snapping sound earlier. He wasn't going to let the figure get away though, not without answering his questions first.

"Hey! Stop!" Verick shouted, his words seeming fall on deaf ears as the mysterious Blade continued to walk through the woods away from Verick.

The young Blade cocked his head in surprise and confusion before following after the mysterious Blade, keeping a distance from the shadowed figure as it kept a steady, silent pace through the forest.

All Verick's confusion up to this point had been replaced with curiosity as he followed the puzzling Blade. The possibilty that this was all a giant trap still was ever present in his mind...but his inquisitiveness to the whole situation seemed to have more favor than his paranoid sense of self preservation did. He had come this far, he might as well see where this person was trying to lead him. He would have ample opportunity to question him then.

However, the further Verick followed the strange figure, the more uneasy he began to feel. The sounds of the forest that had filled his sense of hearing before had all but diminished, creating an aura of uneasy silence that only continued to fuel his growing sense of paranoia. This was all but heightened when the Blade who had been steadily walking in one direction suddenly stepped behind a tree...and vanished.

"What in Oblivion?" Verick said as he quickly ran up to the tree the mysterious Blade had stepped behind, his sense of alarm and panic skyrocketing as there seemed to be no trace of the person that he had been following. His gaze searched the immediate area around him fervently as he tried to rationally think where the Blade that he had been following could possibly have went to.

It made no sense, none of it did. First he had heard the sounds of a battle that wasn't there and instead saw a member of the Blade's who had seemed to only lead him deeper into the forest before disappearing. Thoughts and speculations ran through Verick's mind but the one that stood out the most to him was "why?"

That was when he saw it. The Breton squinted his eyes as they caught a glimpse of something past the copse of trees. He took an uneasy step forward, the sounds of his footsteps seeming to sound like the stomping of a mammoth through the oppressively silent woods. It wasn't long before the woods opened up into another clearing and what Verick saw caused his blood to run cold, his eyes widening and his face instantly going pale.

There, in the middle of the clearing stood an Oblivion Gate. The dark monolith stood tall in the clearing, it's dark, crystalline structure reflecting and seemingly suppressing the sun's rays all at once. Even over a hundred years later, life refused to flourish around the structure, the earth remaining black and scorched and all life within having been snuffed out by the Gate's dark magic, forever scarring the land, and giving a grim reminder of the events that took place over a century ago.

The only other Gate Verick had ever seen had been the one near the city of Chorrol, and even then it didn't seem to quite have the presence that this one did. The air was heavy, nearly stifling as Verick found himself taking longer, deeper breaths to try and combat the feeling of claustrophobia that was beginning to worm its way into his mind.

Could this have been where that mysterious Blade had been trying to lead Verick? That single question came back to mind for Verick as his gaze was locked onto the massive structure of the oblivion gate. "Why?"

There was a glint of light on the ground in front of the Gate that Verick had not noticed previously. Curious, he stepped towards it, the ground beneath him crunching under his feet as he knelt down in front of the gate.

Verick brought his hand down and began to dust off what he thought was a rock at first, but was surprised when he found that the rock was actually the top of a helmet. Verick raised a curious eyebrow as he began to scrape away the dirt and dust around and eventually, he managed to tug it out of the ground. The helmet was obviously old but what sent Verick's heart racing, was that it appeared to be in the style of the Blade's. Most of the leather had all but disintegrated and the the metal of the helmet was dull and black...but the bronze dragon that adorned the face of the helmet was unmistakable, even after all this time.

He set the helmet aside and went from a kneeling position to down on his knees as he began to work on clearing away the dirt and dust, even going so far as to unsheathe his sword and use it to pry away at the hard earth.

After a few minutes, Verick tossed aside his sword and brushed off the rest of the dirt with his hands, his eyes widening as he found the Blade's armor to match the helmet he had found earlier...as well as the Blade who wore it. Like the helmet, time had not been entirely favorable to the armor but, despite the condition and the sheer age of it, the armor was eerily similar to the armor of the Blade that had led Verick here.

Verick whispered a quick prayer to Arkay as he looked over the body of the fallen Blade, his hand brushing away some more dirt to reveal arrow shaped holes punched into the breastplate.

"Rest in piece brother, your death wasn't in vain." Verick said before cocking his head in interest. There was something else there.

"I'm sorry brother." Verick said as he closed his eyes and held his breath, his hand reaching through the neck of the breastplate before reaching into the chest cavity. The poor Breton shuddered lightly when his hand brushed across the long fossilized bones. Verick's fingers brushed against something inside the breastplate before fully gripping it and pulling it out through the neck of the armor.

Verick held, in his hands, an absolute relic. While the armor seemed to have been completely surrendered to time's effects, the sword seemed to be in surprisingly immaculate condition. The scabbard was a bit dirty and the leather around the grip of the sword had long since worn away, but the wood of the handle as well as the metal pommel of the blade and the ringed guard were still present on the sword, if not a touch corroded.

Verick slowly gripped the handle of the blade with one hand and held onto the scabbard tightly with his other, his breathing becoming quick and rapid with anticipation as he slowly began to unsheathe the sword.

Verick was astounded by how easily the blade could be drawn. He had fully expected the time and dirt to have fused the whole piece together...but it was the exact opposite, the blade coming out of it's scabbard as easily as the day it was first made.

The blade of the weapon was perfect. The glistening steel seemingly untouched by time as Verick ran a finger from the hilt of the blade to the tip of it, following the gentle curve of it and surprising himself when he cut his finger on it. The young Blade couldn't take his eyes off the weapon; it was a beautiful work of art in his mind. A work of art that thrummed with power and a history that any scholar today would give a fortune to be able to unveil. Was this what that mysterious Blade had been leading Verick to? Was he meant to have this? It almost didn't feel right for Verick to take the sword, he felt it didn't belong to him and should be returned back to the his fallen brother's resting place...yet something called out in his mind. It was a voice that was stern yet soothing, easing Verick's troubled conscious as he sheathed the sword.

He gripped the weapon in both hands before his gaze turned to the grave of his brother in arms. Verick knew he would never be able to repay the fallen Blade in any conventional way...but perhaps there was at least one thing he could do.

Verick set about replacing the dirt that he had dug up, being sure to completely cover up the body. Once covered, Verick patted down the dirt as best he could before standing up and retrieving his own steel sword.

The young Blade was silent for a long moment as he tried to think of the right words to say. Verick had only ever been to one funeral in his lifetime and even then he didn't think the rites of that funeral would quite fit what needed to be said here. He also didn't feel as though Arkay's prayer would work either as it didn't seem right for the long dead Blade.

He walked over to the front end of the grave and cleared his throat, searching his mind for the right words to say.

"I will never know your name. I will never know of the ones who shed tears for you...but know that your sacrifice was not in vain. That through your efforts and the efforts of countless others, you have kept us all safe. You gave your life so that there could be a brighter future for for those to come, to protect your way of life and ensure a brighter future for the Empire. I know you may have never heard this in your life before you died...but thank you, for everything you have done." Verick said somberly, his own eyes beginning to tear up a little bit before he quickly wiped them with his sleeve.

Verick took his own sword and stabbed it into the ground above the grave before grabbing the deceased Blade's helmet and setting it atop the pommel of the sword as a makeshift grave marker so that any who passed by would see...and hopefully stop to honor the Blade's sacrifice and the sacrifice of the countless others from that dark time.

Satisfied with his work, Verick clutched the Akaviri sword against his chest and turned away from the grave and the giant Gate, the claustrophobic, oppressive feeling he had felt since entering the area now suddenly felt as though it had been lifted like a shroud.

The young Blade let a smile form at the corners of his lips as he made his way back to the main road, passing by a small blade of grass that had begun to grow within the area of scorched earth.

* * *

 _So there we are. Chapter 3 and Verick has gotten himself a new weapon...but will it prove to be more trouble than its worth to have, only time will tell. Till next time!_

 _-Squirrel_


	4. T'sun's crossing

_Hey everyone, so we have finally made it to chapter 4. I wanted to start off by thanking SuperGreg for him being the first person to review my story! It is always an exciting thing to see and, to all other dear readers (I know your there lol) don't be afraid to leave a review and tell me what you think, I love hearing feedback and having people let me know what could possibly be worked on or improved on. Enough of that now, onto chapter (which is going to be a long one)._

* * *

The remainder of Verick's journey had proved to be far less eventful than the day prior, and, for that, Verick was thankful. He continued his brisk pace along the Green Road, his attention far less focused on the surrounding vegetation and wildlife and instead, directed towards the long object hidden within the folds of his cloak. It had taken a small amount of time, but he had managed to take the leather baldric and sheath that had previously held his steel sword and managed to make enough changes to it that it would accommodate Verick's new blade with little trouble...until he could get a proper one that is.

Since the moment Verick had retrieved the sword, he had done nothing but second guess his decision. It was true, carrying a sword that is of obvious Blade's design and origin into a possibly hostile land is never exactly the wisest thing to do and he could hear captain Florious chastising him in his mind for his perceived foolishness...but something about the sword simply called out to him to think otherwise. The spirit of the deceased Blade had drawn Verick to it. It captured his attention and the weapon seemingly spoke to him like a long lost friend. No, Verick would not have left this blade, this artifact, to waste away in the ground. He knew he was meant to have it...only time will reveal the outcomes of Verick's decision.

Verick clutched the blade tightly to his side, turning his attention to other things and giving himself a moment of respite from his previous strings of thought.

His gaze quickly travelled towards the sky, noting how the once bright blue color had begun to transform to the fiery orange color of dusk. Verick was actually a bit surprised. Despite his detour earlier, he was actually making fairly good time and, at the pace he was going, he was positive he could make it to T'Sun's crossing just before nightfall.

The young blade smiled to himself and seemed to walk a little faster, eager to reach the town and find Razen so he could finally get some proper rest...

 ** _*Growl*_**

Verick lightly put his hand over his gurgling and growling stomach. Some hot food didn't seem to be a bad idea either.

* * *

Verick finally came upon the mining town just as the sun had nearly set beyond the horizon casting the sky in a myriad of beautiful purples, blacks, and dark blues. Stars began to dot the twilight sky as Masser and Secunda hung in the darkening sky.

The young Blade took a moment to observe the town and what he saw impressed him a great deal. The settlement was rather large, At least larger than what Verick was expecting from a mining town and it appeared to still be steadily growing in size from sight of halted construction near the south side of the town. The whole town looked professional and organized, benefitting from newer, more modern Architectural techniques.

Each building looked sturdy and well built with strong oak making up the majority of the walls of each building and the roof's being comprised of a strange, dark material Verick had never seen before. It was black and rough and seemed to arranged in a scale like pattern similar to that of a reptile. The scaly like skin of an Argonian came to mind and he wondered if the roofs were designed in a similar way to keep out water during rain storms. Whatever materials they had used to build this town were, it must have cost them an absolute fortune.

Now came the hard part, finding where Razen was staying. It was a small detail that he maybe should of asked captain Florious earlier but hadn't seemed important at the time and it wasn't like Verick could just go door to door like a Stendarr's witness asking if this was where Razen resided, esspecially if he was trying to be inconspicuous and discreet.

Verick began to ponder for a moment on what he should do when his gaze caught plumes of white smoke rising from the chimney of one of the buildings near the center of the town, a building that Verick presumed was the town's inn.

He nearly slapped himself out of his own sheer density. Of course he should go to the inn and just ask the inn keep. They probably knew just about every face in town and if they didn't know, then surely they could point him in the direction of someone who did.

Without wasting any more time Verick quickly made his way into the town.

Once Verick had set foot onto the dirt streets of the town, night time had fully taken over. The brilliance of Masser and Secunda in full view as they hung idly in the sky, bathing the land in there soft, pale light.

The street's of T'sun's crossing were rather bare with the exception of a few people lighting lanterns that hung from short sconce's giving a bit of light to chase away the shadow's of the night and offer a bit of light for any traveler's passing through. Besides those few, the only others people Verick saw were a few patrolling guards.

These guards were unlike any Verick had ever seen before though. Verick had heard tales of the nordic warriors from the cold tundra's of Skryim. He had met several nords in his lifetime as Cyrodiil was a melting pot of all races across Tamriel, but to see what appeared to be full blooded, Nordic warriors from the motherland itself...it was rather intimidating.

Their stature was tall, far taller than Verick, with the pair of guards near him having long, blond hair with long beards tied in knots at the tip. Blue war paint was marked across their faces and along their massive, exposed arms that seemed to ripple with enough strength to crush anyone like a walnut if they were unfortunate enough to have gotten on their bad side.

Their armor was a thick, gray, fur lined steel that covered there massive chests that gradually turned into a thick, leather sash and a set of leather grieves covered with tiny, mail rings. On their hips rested a steel longsword of nordic design, the shining steel of the weapon glinting in the nearby light of the lanterns giving it a dangerous aura.

All in all, they looked strong, impenetrable, powerful...and uncomfortably hot. Verick wondered how these Nords were able to stand the heat especially from the radical change in weather from the snowy lands of Skyrim to the hot plains of southern Cyrodiil.

One of the Nord Guards took notice of Verick and stopped to look at the newcomer, his massive arms folded across his broad chest as he wore a firm, stoic expression on his face. Verick gulped lightly before giving the Nord a silent nod. The nod was returned in kind by the Nord and a silent line of communication was shared between the two, the Guard's look saying it all.

 _"Don't even think about causing any trouble."_

The young Blade understood the silent threat and quickly made his way past the patrolling Guards who turned and continued on there route.

Verick shuddered briefly as he made his way down the street. He was a fairly competent swordsmen, his training had made sure of that, but even he doubted that would be able to take on one of those beastly men without seriously injuring himself in the process or worse. No, he wasn't here to cause any trouble. All he needed to do was meet up with Razen, rest, get his supplies and be on his way. Nice, simple, peaceful and quiet and that was how he intended to keep it.

His head perked up though as the sounds of loud conversation, raucous laughter as the clanking of tankards and glasses sang out through the air. Verick knew he was nearing the local inn and, soon, he found himself standing infront of the large building. Unlike the houses and other buildings that all seemed to have something in common with each other in how similarly they were all built, the inn in front of him seemed to have a a style and presence that was completely all its own.

The building itself was shaped in the style of the long houses and mead halls that he had seen pictures of in books, with long wooden beams intricately carved to be shaped like the head of a dragon. All along the sides and seemingly any exposed piece of wood were intricate carvings of swirling patterns and powerful runes and symbols, and, hanging near the doorway, was a large sign that read in big, bold letters _T'sun's Crossing._ It looked like an inn that had been ripped directly from Skyrim and put right here in the southern part of Cyrodiil. Verick didn't spend much longer gazing at the architecture though, instead he traipsed up the front steps and slowly opened the door to the Inn.

 _"Ah, so that must be why the town is called T'sun's crossing,"_ Verick thought to himself as he traipsed up the front steps and quickly opened the large door to the Inn.

He was greeted instantly by a rush of hot air and loud noise as he quickly entered the establishment. Verick closed the door behind and quickly scanned the room. It was completely packed by people of seemingly every race as they all sat around large tables, laughing and drinking the night away while others huddled around other tables playing games of chance and groaning or cheering whenever lady luck favored them or abandoned them that round and, in the far end of the inn, a merry fire crackled in a large stone hearth.

No one seemed to pay Verick any mind as he made his way from the door and over to the counter where a tall, Nord woman was busy polishing a glass with a clean rag.

When Verick stood in front of the counter the bar maid. or possibly the Innkeeper, Verick didn't quite know which one, flicked her icy blue eyes up at him for a brief moment before returning to her task at hand, trying to wipe away a smudge on the glass that didn't seem to want to go away.

"Never seen your face around here before," The Nord woman said in a thick accent. "Just passing through or are you here looking for work like everyone else?" she said as she pulled the rag away from the glass and eyeballed it for a brief moment. Satisfied, she set the glass down beneath the counter and focused her full attention on the Breton man in front of her.

Verick shook his head as he casually leaned on the counter "No, just a traveller passing through. The place seems pretty lively. Is it always like this?" Verick asked, gesturing out towards the large crowd of people drinking and making merry.

"Aye, it's always like this this time of the day when the men get out of the mines and go to spend there gold. We try to accommodate as best we can but it's not uncommon for barrels of mead and ale to run dry before the night is through," the Nord woman said with a small hint of a smile tugging at the corner of her lips on her otherwise stoic face.

Verick nodded his head looking out over the crowd again before turning back to the Nord woman. "That doesn't seem surprising," Verick said with a laugh and a friendly smile before clearing his throat. "By chance you wouldn't know if the Innkeeper is here would you?"

"You're looking at her."

Verick nodded his head, an apologetic smile forming on his lips; he probably should have figured that from the beginning but he supposed it didn't matter now.

"Perfect, you're just the person I needed to ask then. I decided to pass by through here because a friend of mine lives here. He's a Redguard by the name of Razen..."

"Aye, I know the man. He never mentioned he had any friends but then again, I hardly ever talk to or see the man. He stays cooped up in house nearly all day and when he isn't in there he is out hunting. But he's a shit hunter that much I can tell you. Can barely bring back a handful of starved hares let alone a deer or some other proper game. I don't know where he came from but he always pays the rent for his house so I can't much complain."

Verick laughed. "Yeah, that sounds like him all right. Never could fire a bow to save his life," the young Blade said trying to act natural as if the innkeeper's story was common knowledge for the Breton and, at least according to Verick, he was doing a good job of it.

"If you don't mind my prying. Where did you and Razen meet? He doesn't strike me as the kind of person who has a great deal of friends."

 _"Oh you'd be surprised how many 'friends' he actually has."_ Verick thought to himself but quickly answered the innkeep's question.

"That's always an interesting tale. I met him a couple years back at a tavern near Bravil, sitting, betting and drinking away his gold on a game of dice. I wanted to try my hand at a round and so I played him. Let me tell you, Lady Luck was certainly favoring me that night as I began to clean him out of house and home. Infuriated by his thorough trouncing, he challenged me to go outside and fight him...to which I gladly agreed. We went outside to fight and poor, drunken Razen tripped on a rock before he could even throw a punch and broke his nose. I felt bad for the man and helped him get back up to go to a healer so he could get his nose fixed. We talked a bit and found out that he was just a man a little down on his luck and, the more we talked, the more we found we had in common and soon we had a fast friendship forming. Since then we had a couple of adventures before we went our separate ways. Now I'm just looking to catch up on some old times, maybe share a drink or three," Verick said with a broad smile, secretly congratulating himself that he had nailed the story he came up with perfectly and, judging by the Innkeeper's amused smile, it had worked.

"Aye that is quite the tale. I must say that certainly sheds Razen in a whole new lig..." the innkeep didn't finish her sentence as her gaze seemed to quickly draw from Verick's face to the object that was slightly exposed beneath the Breton's cloak.

Verick suddenly became extremely self conscious as he realized the hilt of his sword was poking out from beneath his cloak which he quickly covered back up before clearing his throat. "So, can you tell me where Razen's house is?" Verick asked, noticing with worry that the Innkeep's previous look of mirth and amusement had become cold and stoic once again.

"Aye, when you head out of the inn, take the street to your left, his house is the third one on the right," the Innkeeper said before she turned and disappeared behind a nearby door.

Verick stepped away from the counter and began quickly making his way out of the inn, his form tense and the feeling that he was being watched becoming prevalent in his mind.

* * *

Verick quickly followed the Innkeeper's directions, taking a left turn when he exited the inn and searching down the rows of houses and business's until he found what he thought she meant by the third house on the right. He stood in front of the house, the building looking exactly the same as all the other houses but, hopefully, this was the correct one.

He stepped up to the door and gave it a few, sharp knocks. Verick stood and waited and waited for a few moments...nothing. Verick tried again knocking even harder this time but still garnering no response from inside.

Verick grumbled to himself briefly as he turned his gaze to one of the windows on the front of the house and let out a frustrated sigh when he saw that the blind's were closed.

Verick began to feel that nagging feeling in the back of his mind that something was watching him and, just to sate his own paranoia, he turned to see if there was anything only to find that there was in fact nobody there.

Verick slowly turned back around before shrugging his shoulders and knocked on the door again, this time calling out to the man he hoped was inside.

"Razen! Open up, it is a friend!" Verick stood for a long moment, his arms folded across his chest as he began praying to every god he knew that he would answer the door. Suddenly, the sound of a door handle unlatching could be heard and the door opened revealing a rather tall red guard man. He looked down at Verick, raising a dark eyebrow at the stranger.

"What brings you here to my doorstep traveler?" Razen asked, skeptical but seemingly as though he was looking for an a specific answer.

Verick smiled. "I'm just glad that the long road has brought me to your door step friend," Verick said to which Razen grinned and stepped aside, motioning for Verick to enter the house.

The young Blade was grinning from ear to ear as he entered the house, the door quickly closing shut behind him. The house itself was sparsely decorated if not completely bare save for a chair, a bookshelf and a small hearth. It looked like it belonged to a man who was either very practical in what he needed...or wasn't intending on staying for very long.

"So you must be Verick then. I think I actually remember you when you were training at Cloud Ruler Temple. I'm impressed at how much that soft little noble has grown up," Razen said, grinning towards the younger Breton who merely laughed at Razen's comment.

Now that Vercik thought about it, Razen actually did look familiar. Memories of his brutal days in the training yard at Cloud ruler temple began to fill his mind as he tried to remember when he had seen Razen. The memory finally struck him though when he remembered seeing the tall Redguard standing on the sidelines, watching Verick with great interest.

"I'd have to say, the training has certainly paid off in spade's. I just hope it will serve me well for my current mission."

"I'm sure it will Verick. You had one of the best instructors there teaching and if everything goes smoothly, you may not even need to make use of it. For now though, we have other things we need to discuss," Razen said suddenly growing serious. "There's a bath and a fresh pair of clothes for you in that room over there. The chamber pot is in there too if you need it. When you're done, I'll have a meal prepared for you and then we will need to give you an overview of what's going on near the southern border," Razen said as he turned and began to walk towards a set of stairs that led down into the cellar of the house.. "When you're done, come see in the cellar and i'll show you your supplies and clothing for your journey."

Verick nodded his head at Razen before making his way into the washroom. A hot bath sounded wonderful to the young Blade right now, and he didn't plan on wasting a second more as he entered the washroom and closed the door behind himself.

* * *

After about an hour or so Verick made his way down the cellar stairs, fully washed, clothed and fed. He hadn't felt this relaxed and days and he knew he would have to savor the feeling as he doubted that he would be able to afford such luxuries in the future.

As he made his way down the stairs, the cellar opened up into a rather large room, illuminated by several lanterns that appeared to have captured mage light within them. All around the room were tables lined with sketches, diagrams, tools, crafting materials and a few uneaten pieces of food and half finished bottles of alcohol.

Verick was actually rather impressed as his gaze scanned around the room before quickly settling on Razen and, next to him, a mannequin that wore an outfit that Verick had never seen before. It was a tan colored robe of some sort with the head being covered in something that reminded Verick of a turban and a shawl combined. On the shoulder's and around the wrists were pieces of boiled leather that Verick guessed were to serve as armor and vambraces. It didn't seem like much but Verick surmised that it was better to have some armor than none at all.

Razen's head perked up from whatever he was looking at on the table when he heard Verick make his way down the stairs. The Redguard brought up his hand and waved the Breton over to the table that he was standing over.

Curious, Verick made his way over to the table and stood next to Razen. What he saw on the table was a fairly large map detailing the town and the surrounding area all the way past the border between Cyrodiil and Elsweyr.

"You know the Innkeep told me you were a shit hunter and I think I am begining to understand why. You weren't spending all that time out in the wilderness hunting for game were you?"

Razen cracked a small smile, his hazel gaze flickering over to Verick briefly before settling back onto the map before him. "You caught me red-handed it seems. It does make for nice cover though. I already have a route planned for you as you want to get to the Ahri'zizi Road and stay on it till you reach Dune. It will be your quickest and safest way of travel as bandits do not frequent the main road often. As you well know, northern Elsweyr is a very inhospitable and dangerous place. It's a land of vast deserts and canyon's as far as the eye can see and the sun is so hot there that it could dehydrate a glass of water." Razen said chuckling at his own joke briefly. "I've packed you enough food and water to last you the trip to Dune and then some. If rationed properly it could get you all the way there and back provided nothing happens to you on your way there," Razen said as he pointed to a nearby satchel sitting on a table.

Verick walked over to it and opened it up to peer inside. Inside were essentials such as dried meats and cheese, a few large water skins, steel and flint for starting fires and even a bit of kindling as finding firewood in the desert would have been an arduous task for even the most experienced survivalist. Besides the necessities the rest of Verick's possession's were inside including the journal that Florious had given him and his other book that he had brought with him on his travels. He was about to reach in and grab it when Razen spoke up once again.

"I also did a small modification to your outfit," Razen said as he turned towards the mannequin. "I saw you had a Blade's sword on you, a pretty old one at that...but this may not have been a good idea Verick. You know how recognizable our swords are, if the wrong person see's you wielding one, it could mean trouble for you."

The face of the Innkeep briefly flashed in Verick's mind but he quickly shook his head. "I'm not to worried, I'll just need to hide it good."

"That's where my modification comes in. I took one of the flaps of your thawb and sewn in such a way that you'll be able to hide your sword within it and still be able to draw it at moment's notice. The clothing itself fits loosely enough so hopefully no one will notice it." Razen said showing Verick the pocket within the clothing and the hilt of Verick's sword that stuck out for a brief moment before being back up by Razen.

"Now I have a question for you Verick. When you reach Dune, how do you intend to find Bezanji? She is going to be one Khajiit in a sea of hundreds, maybe even thousand's and that isn't counting the fact that she is more than likely in hiding, making it that much harder to find."

Verick nodded his head at the Redguard's valid question. Verick reached in the satchel and pulled out the journal Florious had given him.

"I had asked that same question to captain Florious and he gave me this..." Verick said as he laid the journal onto the table and began flipping the pages till it was on the page with Bezanji's profile and the detailed ink drawing of her.

"Her entire description is in here...but still it is going to take forever to find her and I don't even know where I could begin when I get there," Verick said looking down at the picture of the Khajiit he was supposed to find and 'rescue', his face beginning to look distraught.

Verick felt a large hand on his shoulder and he turned to see Razen standing there with a warming smile on his dark face "I know I won't be able to help you in search when you reach dune but one little detail that isn't in that book is that she has a long tattoo from the base to the tip of her tail of a tribal ring pattern and the tip of her tail is a light cream colored plume of fur," Razen said with a wistful look in his eye that made the Breton raise an eyebrow in curiosity.

"That's an...oddly specific detail. How did you learn about tha..."

"That's not important right now. For now, it's best you get some rest. Tomorrow is going to have an early start and you'll need your strength," Razen said, interrupting Verick before he could finish his sentence much to the Breton's annoyance.

But Razen was right, he needed a proper rest to be prepared for tommorow and possibly the most dangerous mission Verick has ever under gone in his life time.

Verick grabbed his Satchel and bid Razen goodnight before he made his way up the steps and towards what Verick presumed was the room he was going to be sleeping in.

* * *

Sleep seemed to elude Verick as the Breton lay in the bed, staring at the ceiling, his mind swirling with a thousand thoughts about his mission. On one hand he was excited, he would finally be able to see Elsweyr in all its glory! All of the stories he had read about the country picture it as a hostile land but with its own sense of natural beauty to it. Of course it didn't hurt that he was finally going to be able to experience some of the Khajiiti culture first hand. It was a dream of his he had had since he was little.

However, on the other side of the septim, he was a nervous wreck. He was going into possible enemy territory and while Elsweyr was still, technically aligned with the empire, he knew that the popular opinion of the Khajiit people, as of late, did not swing entirely in the Empire's favor.

Verick decided to distract his troubled mind, he reached into his satchel and pulled out the journal that held Bezanji's profile in it. The candle by Erick's bedside hadn't completely burnt out yet and so there was still enough glow that he would be able to read the journal. The young Blade opened up the journal to Bezanji's page once again and lightly traced a finger over her picture. "How am I going to find you?" Verick whispered to himself before he slammed the journal shut. No, this wasn't the right way to go about easing his mind, he needed a distraction.

Verick put the journal back into his knapsack and instead pulled out the other book he had brought with him. He opened the book carefully and a nostalgic smile spread over his features as he began reading his favorite adventure.

* * *

Verick had no idea at what point he had fallen asleep. All he knew was that the book he had been reading lay comfortably on his chest and that he was being shaken awoke by a familiar voice. Suddenly Verick recognized the voice as Razen and he noticed the urgency in the tone.

"Verick, you need to wake up and we need to get going now." Razen said urgently as he shook the young Blade awake. Verick sat up and rubed the sleep out of his eyes, his face showing concern as got out of bed.

"Razen, what's going on?"

That was when a voice rang out from outside. "Razen! Come out with your friend!" came the loud thunderous voice of one of the Nord guards of the town. Razen quickly made his way over to one of the windows, hiding behind the wall and peeking around just enough that he could see the force that he and Verick were dealing with.

It seemed that every guard in the town was at Razen's doorstep. A dozen or so Nordic warriors with their weapons drawn and angry looks on their faces. "Razen! We know you and your friend are in there, let's resolve this peacefully and not have it come to bloodshed! Come out with your hands in the air!" called the Nord, who was presumably the leader of the group of Nords, speaking out in a loud and authoritative tone.

"Why do I need to come out at all Bjorn? I've done nothing wrong to warrant the whole town guard here at my front step," Razen called out, hoping he could be heard through the walls of the house.

"We know who you and your friend are Razen and there is someone who is willing to pay a hefty price for the likes of you! They want you alive...but they never said anything about it being in one piece so come out now and it won't have to resort to that!" Bjorn said causing many of the other nord warriors around him to grip there weapons a bit tighter in anticipation.

Razen cursed under his breath as he stepped away from the window and walked towards a worried and confused Verick.

"It's time to go Verick. Follow me." Razen said before he descended the steps to the cellar. In a matter of minutes Razen helped gather around a few more supplies for Verick and helped him put on his desert attire quickly before going around stuffing all of the drawings, documents and diagrams in a large knapsack.

"I don't understand Razen, how are we supposed to escape with those Nords blocking our only exit?" Verick asked as he adjusted his attire.

Razen merely grinned as he walked over to a nearby wall "There's a reason I chose this specific house to live in..."Razen said as he ran his hand along the wall, catching un an unseen seam and, quickly, the wall opened up to reveal a tunnel.

Verick's eyes widened in surprise and he was about to comment to Razen but he was quickly silenced as Razen pushed him into the tunnel before the door shut behind him.

Darkness surronded the two men briefly before Razen brought his hands together and muttered something in a language Verick did not understand. He quickly began to understand what it was though as a ball of light formed in the Redguard's hands, illuminating the tunnel before them.

"Allright, stay close to me Verick and watch where you step, this tunnel is fairly old and it's going to be a long way till we come out on the other side." Razen said as he and Verick began to make there way through the long, dark tunnel.

* * *

Verick had lost all track of time as the two continued down the tunnel for what felt like hours till, finally, the Breton spotted a light at the end of the blackness. Verick was relieved to be out of the dark tunnel as he stepped into the warm sunlight, letting a slight breeze wash overe him as he breathed in the fresh air.

As Verick's eyes adjusted to the bright morning light, he let out a small gasp as he took in the landscape around him. The tall trees and rolling green hills had been replaced by short shrubs and coarse, green grass that seemed to stretch on forever into the distant horizon with only a few sparse patches of trees dotting the vast scenery. Verick turned around and found that he couldn't even see the mining settlement from where they were, just how long was that tunnel anyway?

"We're very close to the Elsweyr border Verick, you just want to head south and it should bring you to the Ahri'zizi road. There's a map and a compass in your satchel should you lose your way but if you just stick to the road, you should be fine...and now, this is were we part ways. It's only a matter of time before those stupid Nords manage to find the switch to open the tunnel and I don't intend to stick around and wait for them when they do."

"Where will you go?" Verick asked, curious and a little sad at the Redguard's departure.

"I will head back to cloud ruler temple and let Captain Florious know that you managed to get into Elsweyr safely...well semi safely. Hopefully we'll meet again after your mission Verick. In the words of the Khajiit, may your road lead you to warm sands." Razen said as he crossed his right arm diagonally to his chest in salute to Verick who nodded his head and returned the salute.

Immediately after, Razen was off like a gust of wind, taking off into the wilderness and soon leaving Verick alone.

The young Blade watched Razen head off into the distance before he became nothing but a small speck and eventually dissapeared. He turned back around, his gaze falling onto the vast desert in the distance.

Verick took a deep breath and closed his eyes before he too took off, his mind and body both thrumming with the promise of adventure as he made his way across the border into Elsweyr.

* * *

 _There we have it, chapter 4. Sorry if this chapter seemed pretty long but this pretty much marks the end of act 1 for this story so to speak and I felt as though it wouldn't quite flow as well together if I had split it into multiple chapters so I hope you all forgive me there lol._

 _Till next time-Squirrel_


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